Apparatus for cooling water



Sept. 8, 1925.

' J. M. WESTERLIN APPARATUS FOR COOLING WATER Filed March. l0, 192.4 3 Sheets-Sheet l sept. a, 1925.

J. M. wEsTRLlN APPARATUS FOR COOLING WATER Filed'march 1Q. 1924 s sheets-sheet z VEA/T www@ @ways y Joh/0772A fr@ im im Sept. 8, 1925.

J. M. WESTERLIN APPARATUS FOR COOLING WATER s sheets-smet V:s

Filed March 10. 1924 MM M6,

Patented Sept. 8, 19.25.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN IVI. IES'IERLIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 WESTERLIN AND CAMP- BELL COMPANY, 01'* CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FOR COOLING WATER.

Application led March 10, 1924. Serial No. 698,219.

Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in an Apparatus for Cooling 'Vater, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an apparatus for cooling water by means of refrigerating pipes which are installed in a suitable conduit or tube so that the water to be cooled may be agitated and caused to circulate around said pipes and the temperature thereof reduced to near the freezing point.

In large bakeries and other establishments, it is frequently necessary to employ water as close to the freezing point as possible, and in order to do this a great many structures have been devised which have been found to be uncertain in operation and therefore only more or less dependable in carrying out their functions. I/Vith my apparatus I agitate the water in preferably endless tubular conduits in which are installed the refrigerating coils, and the water which is maintained under pressure is agitated so that it does not move in an even flow but more or less in a surging manner so that there is a complete chilling of the water to the point desired. With my apparatus the water is fed into the structure and maintained therein at theY city pressure and is caused to surge by means of an agitator which is located adjacent the feed end of the structure. IVhen a portion of the water is drawn oli' for use, the agitation is suspended during the period of withdrawal, so that Aonly the cold water will be discharged,

' cost of operation.

which will not become mixed with the warm water that is being received from the city main., In my experimentation, I have employed a pump for forcing the water through the coils in the conduits, but I have determined, through my said experiments, that the agitation or surging of the water, as contra-distinguished from the force or current generated by a pump, is very much more rapid and economical. I have ascertained that agitation of the water by means of the agitator will reduce the temperature to the same degree of cold at a much less In other words, a l/g-H.

P. agitator will do the work in the same time as a -IsI. P. pump; therefore the saving in power and cost of operation is -approximately one to six.

I prefer to carry out my invention and accomplish the several objects thereof in substantially the manner hereinafter described and as more particularly pointed out in the claims. Reference will now be had to the accompanying drawings that form a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved cooling apparatus with the outer casing in section and the insulation removed.

Fig. 2 is a top plan of the structure shown in Figure l.

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section taken axially through the conduits or tubes.

Fig. a is a transverse vertical section taken on line 4 4 of Figure 1.

Fig. 5 is a vertical end elevation of the structure at the discharge end thereof with the casing in section.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal axial section of thelagitator and its casing drawn to a larger sca e.

In the drawings I have designated like parts by similar reference characters wherever the same occur throughout the several views.

As seen in the drawings, the structure comprises a suitable housing consisting of a plurality of vertically disposed posts 10 that are connected by longitudinal side pieces 11 at their upper and lower ends and the end posts are connected by upper and lower pieces. Suitable saddle blocks 13 extend horizontally from certain of the intermediate posts on one side to the opposite side of the frame and are each provided with a central concave depression or seat 14, the purpose of which will hereinafter more fully appear. The frame heretofore described is enclosed within the longitudinal side walls 15, top and bottom walls 16 and 17 respectively, and the end walls 18 and 19, the former being at the feed end'and the latter at the'discharge end of the structure.

Mounted in the depressions or seats 14 of the saddle blocksl, and preferably in vertical axial alineinent, one above the other, are the large tubes or conduits '20and 21. These conduits are formed from preferably riveted spiral met-al tubes and are approximately eighteen inches in diameter and sixthese tubes are apertured and connected by suitable couplings 22 so Vthat the tubes communicate with each other at this end of the structure. The ends of the tubes are each closed by `head plates 23, and head plate at the feed end -of `the lower tube 2l is provided with a larger Iopening and has an elbow 24 connected to it that communicates through a suitable intermediate connection 25 with the vertical lateral stub of a T 26. One ofi-the horizontal alining stubs of the 'l'y is yconnected with lan opening made in the adjacent head plate 23 of the upper tube so` that the ,tubes kcommunicate with each other at this end of the structure.

The opposite horizontal stub Vof the T is closed by an end-plate 27 vhaving a hollow cylindrical embossment 28 projecting axially therefrom through which an agitator shaft 29 passes andis journaled. The youter end of this agitator shaft extends beyond the bearings providedrin the cylindrical ernbossmenti28 and through the gland Asleeve co-acting with the embossment `and h as secured to Ait a 'drive pulley 30 by which it may be rotatedy through any suitable source of power. An elongatedV bearing 3l projects axially from the end plate and extends through the alining horizontal studs of the T and Yat 011e Aend is yprovided with an enlargementA 32 for centering y.and supporting ,the saine in the :stub opposite the pulley end of the agitator shaft'29. This adjacent end of the agitator shaft extends beyond the enlargement 3 2 where it is provided witha suitable agitatorstructure com prising one or more oblique blades or tins 33 mounted upon a shaft portion 34 of reduced diameter which is threaded at its outer end; The agitator is secured in vposition by meansof a nut 35 that is screwed upon the threaded end of .theagitator shaft. A water inlet pipe 36 is .screwed Ainto a threaded opening' made inthe upper por" tion of Athe shell `of the yT through which water, under ycity pressure7 may be admittedv through ,the T and from thence passed through :the tubes. 20v and 2l. The k,head plate 23, at the end of tube 21 opposite the .elbow 28 is provided with .an outlet Ipip-e3? from which the y cold water lmay be- ,drawn off and conveyed to lthe point where it is desired to vuse it.

within the tubes 2o and ai itat@ piovided .the `coils y38 that are seamless and jointless, forming `continuous yconduits run# ning back and forth through the approximate entirelength,o feachtube. These coils 38 are mounted upon a plurality of lcrosses or strips 40 disposed at right angles thereto and extending from one side to thev other of the tube. rllhepipes forming the coils are clamped to the cross or stand just described by means of holders in the form of shorter vertical strips 4l arranged parallel, and outside the .vertical strips 39, and are clamped there by means of bolts 42. also, there'are provided horizontal strips 43 arranged ,outside of, both above and below and parallel to the horizontal rarms 40 of the cross, and Aare clamped thereto by means of bolts 44. These crosses or stands may be disposed at intervals throughout ithe `length lof the coils and support the latter rigidly within the tubes and space them the'.I desired distance apart to prevent contact with the tubes and to permit free circulation of .the water around the coils. The upper tuber`20. l1as an inlet pipe 45 leading through the lower portion of its head that isconnected to and communicates with the coil, and above said inlet pipe is an outlet pipe 4G leading `from one of the upper pipes Aof the coil. Corresponding inlet and voutlet pipes 47 and 48 are provided in the lower tube that y are connected to the coil therein. Vrlhe refrigerant may be in the forni of brine or ammonia solution and is Vadmitted to vthe coils through their respective inlets, and .after circulating in said coilsis discharged through the respective outlets.

The water discharge pipe 37 leading from the lower tube is provided, adjacent the point where the Water is discharged, with Aa control valve or cock 49 so that when itis desired to draw off a quantity of the cold water it may bei readily done by opening the valve 4 9. The agitator is rotated lat the desired speed to agitate the water and cause a movement or circulation thereof from agitation, through the tube 20. The water then passes down through connection 22, into the lower tube 21 at .the opposite end thereof, and then returns tothe upper `tube through the elbow and T where it is I ind .that .with this structure I am Iabile to reduce the water in a comparatively short `time to a temperature of'321/2o Fahrenheit so thatit vmay be used in lits ,coldest condition in connection with the service for which itV has been chilled. l/Vhenever a quantity of the water is drawn oli', the agitator is stopped because the warm water from the city main immediately begins kto enter through the supply pipe y36and as fast .as the cold water, vnear the freezing point, is drawn out of the tubes 20 and 2l it is replaced by this warm water, and should the agitator be in operation it would have a tendency to circulate the water in the tubes and mix with the warm water from the city main. As soon as the desired quantity of water has been drawn oli the control valve a9 is closed and the agitator again set in motion. In order to release any air from the tubes I have provided a small air outlet pipe 5() that leads into the upper portion of the upper tube, and the said pipe is' provided with an air relief cock 5l that may be opened whenever it is desired to discharge the air.

From the foregoing it will be observed I have provided a very simple structure for the cooling of water to near the freezing point and for agitating the same under the pressure which may exist in the city water main. So long as no water is drawn olf, the city water, which is warm, will not enter through the feed pipe 36, but the pressure will be maintained in the tubes because the water feed pipe is not shut off and the water is kept circulating and agitated until it has been thoroughly chilled. I am aware that cooling systems have been provided wherein the water is cooled under the pressure of a pump in the cooling system. This, however, as hereinbefore stated, is expensive both to maintain the pump and in the cost of installation, and I have, as hereinbefore set forth, been able, by actual tests, to materially reduce the cost of operation and accomplish the cooling in a much shorter time by merely agitating the water under the pressure that exists in the city water main.

What I claim is 1. An apparatus for cooling liquids comprising elongated horizontal tubes arranged one above the other and communicating adjacent one end, an elbow extending upwardly from an opening at the opposite end of the lower tube, a T communicating with the upper tube and connected to said elbow, refrigerating coils within said tubes, means for admitting the liquid under pressure in said tubes, and an agitator for causing the liquid under pressure to flow through said tubes and surge about said coils.

2. An apparatus for cooling liquids comprising elongated horizontal tubes arranged one above the other and communicating adjacent one end, an elbow extending upwardly from an opening at the opposite end of the lower tube, a T communicating with the upper tube and connected to said elbow, refrigerating coils within said tubes, means for admitting the liquid under pressure in said tubes, and an agitator positioned at the inlet end of the upper tube and having its shaft journaled in said T, whereby the liquid under pressure is caused to iow thrlough said tubes and surge about said co1 s.

3. An apparatus for cooling liquids comprising elongated horizontal tubes arranged in vertical alinement and communicating adjacent one end, an apertured plate at the opposite end of the lower tube, an elbow secured to said plate at the aperture, a T having its stem communicating with said elbow and one of its horizontal stubs communicating with the adjacent end of the upper tube, an inlet pipe leading into said T, an outlet pipeI leading out of the opposite end of the lower pipe, and a device for agitating the liquid to cause the same to surge in said tubes between the coils therein.

4. An apparatus for cooling liquids comprising elongated horizontal tubes arranged in vertical alinement and communicating adjacent one end, an apertured plate at the opposite end of the lower tube, an elbow secured to said plate at the aperture, a T having its stem communicating with said elbow and one of its horizontal stubs communicating with the adjacent end of the upper tube, an inlet pipe leading into said T, an outlet pipe leading out of the opposite end of the lower pipe, and an agitator positioned at the inlet end of the upper tube and having its shaft journaled in said T, whereby the liquid under pressure is caused to flow through said tubes and surge about said coils.

Signed at Chicago, county of Cook and State of Illinois, this 5th day of March, 1924.

JOHN M. WESTERLIN. 

